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UPDATED: NOW Deplores Passage by U.S. House of Nationwide 20 Week Abortion BanStatement of NOW President Terry O'Neill

June 18, 2013After voting to move forward on the vote, the House of Representatives has approved -- in a nearly party-line vote of 228-196 -- Rep. Trent Franks' appalling nationwide 20-week abortion ban. This bill represents the most restrictive abortion legislation to come to a vote in either chamber over the past decade and is a clear violation of Roe v. Wade. Anyone who thinks the Republican leadership's war on women is moderating, let alone over, is mistaken. This bill places the health and well-being of women in the hands of ideologues more interested in politics than women's lives. By banning abortion after 20 weeks and cutting funding to necessary social safety nets, among other policy decisions, the Republican members of the House continue to show their true colors.
No amount of softening rhetoric or moderate posturing will change the harsh reality that today's GOP is out of step and out of touch when it comes to women. We at NOW are not fooled, and neither are women voters.
NOW will continue to fight for a comprehensive approach to achieving reproductive justice for all women – from expanding reproductive health services in every community to ending the discrimination and inequality that keep women from controlling their own reproductive lives.